Trailer hitch



TRAILER HITCH Filed June 20, 1929 r 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor J W re ers A ttorney y 1931}v J. w. ROGERS 1,815,678

TRAILER HITCH Filed June 20. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor JosrrirKw; noennsl, orasonmns, PENNSYLVANIA}- T AILE Ii 111 6 1. I

This invention relates "to trailer hitches and particularlyadapted for attaching trailers to. automohil is while touring.

5 "An obj ect, of the "invention is to provide-v a device of the character referred to, which I ances, su'chastrailers the automobile pulling the samewhen muddy?" i'sfree of lateral movementso as to prevent sidexs way of the {trailer and'furtherrnore to I provide for pulling the trailer on a fixed axis 10 of rotation so- \that the trailer will be gov; erned during forwarder rearwardinovement of the automobilepulling the trailer.

"Further objects ofiflthe invention are to V I p lateral *playri'n'the coupling,thetrallercanz- ,e providefin a manner ashereinafterset forth, p I,

not be hacked w th any kind of m nsw ar I5 a tractor of the character referred to, which is strong, compachthoroughly reliable. for

its intended purpose;wery'isimple iniits V nnethodiof assembly, thoroughly reliablejin' its operatiomand comparatively inexpensive to manufacture andinstalh j 1 a i j f -.With the foregoing and-other objectsin 'viewf, the inventionconsists inthe novelcon,

truction, combination and arrangement 01'? ing drawings, whereinis "disclo's'ed'an embodiment ofithe invention; hutit to be understood that changes, variations and 0 parting-from spirit 'of the cl ailn" hereunto;

o of 'anautomohi-le and illustrating the'ldevice in accordance with this Qiniv' ithe trailerwith the automobile," p I 1 Figure 2 is-a top plan view'offtheyderic'e o; in'accor'dance withthisinvention v Figiiref3 'is'avertical sectionfin detail, taken substantially on the"line;3'+i3 OfIFigure Q JI' Figure is a rear elevationyof the device type of.autornobileflnd s-a; 3 o I'TigureB is a "side elevationpf the device in aceordancewith this invention; showing 7 I a modified'form o'f coupling the'device with a diflerenttype of automobile; shown in Figure. r

es for. earrying luggage p wi l' e he ei i f er re 'pe i llyi (described and illustrated in the accompany:

wherein lilcefreferenc'e denote corresponding parts gwhich meshwith-a Figure 1 is affragnientaryjside elevations nt w li i wlth*registering openings,

* illustrating the method of attaching to one i trailer Tandthe automobile 6." a 1 I At; the forwardfend of *the'intermediate; I

192a Serial No. 372,491.

'Considerable ditficulty ha b k e i I encedil'zheretofcre Vin p g r ers want automobiles bv reason ofvthe fact that in} Y or er to have an elfi'cientcoupling alateral l p v playwasprovidedtherein. Lateral play-in 65 o the "coupli'n g produces 'alli kinds {of annoy;

disposed 'atan 'angl m y roads are encountered; Another annoying? r feature of providing lateral" play in ;the;coii 60? I plingis the fact tha'tth'e ea'nee caniiotheu governed in traffic to i pass througl'l narrow? spaces, while atthe same tinie,'-b-y providing 7 ring particularly to the drawings, wherein f v i j the present invention; is disclosedffi indicates an'-;auton 'obiIe. 7 designates: a twowheel f' tractor coupled" to theautomobiie with the device in accordance witlrthis invention? "The device, in'accordance witihflthepresentg' e r I invention" consists" of three plates 8 9,; 10; n

Thereanplate I0-is of rhomboiclal configura f jtionqandisdonned of 1net;al', of s11itahle thick i ness. *The angular sides 11, l2;-'are riveted" adjacent-"the marginfsthereof' as at l3, 14 and to the e tenSion l5, from and securedlto'the trailerg7.- (lo-ex 8'" tensive with the forward edge of; the rear plate 10 are securedapluralityof forwardly projecting t'r'a ns'versely spaced sleeves '16;

rear edge of'the intermediate;plate 9'. The I inneriineshingsleeves l6 and}? are provided;

inf which is jour-f naled the bolts 18 ,the bolt l8 -journaled in the sleeves 16, 17, providing ahinged connection between theforward end of the rear plates and -atherear ends of the intermediate plates; coextensive with the edges'thereof and compensate for differences in 'levelflhetweenfthe rear end of "the body portion of 'the plate 8 hent'downw'ardly at right 'angles to dr'm Q projecting forwardly plurality of-Irearwardly extending sleeves 17 that arefsecured tothe a fined by these a flange 20, movably abutting the flange 19.

e The flanges 19 and 20 are too-extensive with the forward edge of the interme'diate plate 9, the rear edgefof the forward plate 8. A diagonally disposed reinforcing strap 21 extends from the outer edge of the flange 19 and the inner end thereof'is' rigidly secured to the plate 9, by means of a rivet 22, wherebythe flange is prevented from bending The extreme end of the strap 21 is bentin a" head 27 connected herewith and in movable '2 abutment w th the rear face of the flange 19. e

, washer 29 is mounted on the shank of the bolt 26, andis in abutting relation to theforward face of the flange and the head 30 of 'the'pin26. The pin 26 provides for rotate plates 8, 9, with respect to each other ing the "on a fixed axis and--theflanges19, 20, prevent lateral thrust in the event that the openings 4, otherwiise permit lateral thrust by reason of the wear. f i

V The plates 8, 9, are normally disposed in the same plane when the trailer and automobile are upon thesame level, but when the trailer rocks upon its axis caused by ruts or unevennessintheroads, the' pin 26 provides compensation for the rockingmovement, but by reason of beingon .a fixed axis will prevent any lateral thrust of the trailer.

I: I It ispointed out that there s a straight longitudinal pull from theautomobile,

through. this coupling device, without any lateral deviatlonv-being-permitted, and the reinforcing strap 31 extends from the outer; v end of the flange 20 and the forward end of c said strap is rivetedas at 32, to the forward I edgeof the forward plate 8. 1 e

In coupling the forward plate 8 to the rear constructions of automobiles of the type shown in Figures 1,2, 3, and 4, wherein the transversely extending spring 33-is securedeat itscenter to a bracket 34, connected to a chanml 35 secured between the side bars of the chassis frame, the plate 8 isprovidedwith four openings through which extend the i threaded ends of the pair of shackle bolts 3'7,

38, by which thespring is supported on the bracket 34. ;Since the automobile industry has'standardized the size of springs, theplate. 8emay bepre-formed with transversely dismposed upwardlyivexten'ding flanges 39,40, at

thecenterthereof to prevent the springfrom shifting when seated therebetween. The I 7 by making an I-shaped slot at flanges 39, 40,

the center and bending-the body portion de- .pract1ce 1s promoted. Flanges 'face of the-plate having a flattened become worn and therefore would" slots to form the said flanges, f I I whereby very economical 'manufacturin'g 39, 40, are disposed between the four openings 36, through =which the shackle'bolts extend. Theshackle' bolts 37, 38, havenuts threadably secured thereon in rigid abutment against the under 8, whereby the shacklebolts are rigidly held and'at thesametime supports the; forward plate 8 in rigid connection with the rear end of the automobile.

L. Beforev connectingthecoupling in accordance with the present invention to an automobile that has no convenient crossbar, the modlfied form of the lnvention shown in Fig ure 5 is to be utilized; A T-shaped bar indicated generally as at 41, has the stem 42 secured to the chassis frame, centrally thereof 9 and is provided at its rear end with oppositely disposed legs 43, about which the shackle bolts similar to those shown at 37 and 38 may be'coupled. In the latter case, all that is necessary to do to make the device adaptable to this type of automobile isto provide a shorter shackle bolt and secure the bar 41 to the chassis frame. 7 It is furthermore pointed out, that in the type shown in Figure 5 of the drawings,

39, 40, overhang the the upstandingflanges opposite faces ,of't'he legs of the car to prevent movement thereof and also to provide a 7 seat for the legs. 7 1

"It is to be'un lerstood that by'describing the details: in any particular form, structure or' arrangement, his not intended'to limit the in vention beyond theterms of the claim or the requirements ofthe prior art. What'is ,claimed'is: I V e v r In combination with an'a'utomobile and a trailer, '21 horizontally arranged plate rigidly connected to the frontend of the trailer and V,

havinga plurality of hinge barrels at its front edge, spaced apart, an intermediate plate having a depending flange atits' front edge and a plurality of hinge barrels at its rear.

edge extending into" the spaces between: the first-mentioned barrels, a hinge pin passing through the barrels-for connecting the intermediate plate with the first-mentioned plate, a brace member having one end ,connected to the loweredge of the flange and its other end 1 bent over "the hinge 'pin, means for fastening the brace member adjacent its bent end'to the intermediate plate, a third plate attached to a part of the automobile andhaving a depend ing flange at its rear edge abutting theflange on the intermediate plate, a horizontal pivot passing thru the flanges at the center, thereof and a brace'connecting-the' lower edge of the flange on the third plate toa part of the frontof said third plate; In testimony whereof I JOSEPH w. noenns.

I affix my s1gnature.- 

